What to wear this summer by Dan Rookwood and Orsolya Szabo

What to wear this summer by Dan Rookwood and Orsolya Szabo

What to wear this summer by Dan Rookwood and Orsolya Szabo

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Fashion split

Summer stylin': Dan and Orsolya sort our your hot weather wardrobes

Hamish Brown

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MODERN DANDY

Taking the great from Gatsby — a peak-lapel blazer, tab-collar shirt, pocket square, suede brogue — this is a smart summer look for a relaxed wedding or a day at the races. Washed-out pastels work well in combination, but you need a dash of stronger colour for contrast. This summer’s sunglasses are rounded tortoiseshell ones.

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URBAN COMMANDO

Camo goes in and out of favour quicker than a Chelsea manager and this summer it’s everywhere. This casual look fuses together camo trousers with other key youthful urban trends: digital-print T-shirt; bomber jacket; Nike Air Max; a flash of neon; and ludicrously oversized headphones. If you’re going to wear camo — and for anyone over the age of 30, that should be a big if — then make sure you add some contrast colour and/or pattern. This is a rare example of when closely co-ordinating colours is inadvisable.

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BLOCK PARTY

There’s plenty of bright, bold, block colour around for summer. I’m overdoing the combination here to emphasise the point. Normally I’d stick to two main colours. Cautious dressers can enliven a more sombre outfit with high-impact accessories such as a bright bag, contrast-sole shoes or a pop colour watch. Expose your mankles by wearing loafers without socks.

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SICILIAN SEXPOT

Think southern Italian mamma in the making, complete with all the garlands and embellishments. If you’re really up for it, go with a headscarf, red lips and big wedges adorned with flowers. If you’re not feeling that bold, we’re disappointed, but stick to 1960s details such as silk printed blouses, waisted silhouettes and the occasional 3D flower. Sophia Loren, she say brava!

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SEASONAL BLACK

Personally I would happily wear black for all 12 months of the year, so I am delighted that this summer the shops dictate I can do just that. The best way is to layer black with a mix of transparent textures so hints of skin don’t leave you too funereal and, more to the point, hot and sweaty. Keep the look sophisticated (no fishnets) but edgy enough to wear from day to night.

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NEON NEON

Neons are not for the faint-hearted. Fluoro yellows and pinks are great on stark white and work well layered with smarter shapes like a shirt. This helps to keep it grown up, as opposed to a child at a glow-in-the-dark party. If this is all still too ‘roller disco’, there are some great accessories that will help you buy into the trend without fully committing.